Having a total cholesterol under 200, or an LDL under 130, reduces your risk, but, as the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Cardiology wrote more than a decade ago now, it’s time to shift “from decreasing risk to actually preventing and arresting atherosclerosis.”

In an editorial last year, the editor-in-chief advocated for an LDL under 60; a total cholesterol under 150. “Whether or not we are willing to alter our diet sufficiently and/or to spend the money necessary to obtain the lipid-lowering drugs [the statins], and then take them religiously to achieve this goal is up to us.”

“For the plaque buildup in our arteries to cease, it appears that the serum total cholesterol needs to be lowered to the 150 area. In other words the serum total cholesterol must be lowered to that of the average pure vegetarian. Because relatively few persons are willing to abide by the vegetarian lifestyle, lipid-lowering drugs are required in most to reach the [target] 150 level.”

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

Having a total cholesterol under 200, or an LDL under 130, reduces your risk, but, as the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Cardiology wrote more than a decade ago now, it’s time to shift “from decreasing risk to actually preventing and arresting atherosclerosis.”

In an editorial last year, the editor-in-chief advocated for an LDL under 60; a total cholesterol under 150. “Whether or not we are willing to alter our diet sufficiently and/or to spend the money necessary to obtain the lipid-lowering drugs [the statins], and then take them religiously to achieve this goal is up to us.”

“For the plaque buildup in our arteries to cease, it appears that the serum total cholesterol needs to be lowered to the 150 area. In other words the serum total cholesterol must be lowered to that of the average pure vegetarian. Because relatively few persons are willing to abide by the vegetarian lifestyle, lipid-lowering drugs are required in most to reach the [target] 150 level.”

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

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Thank you Pat! The Lancet is one of my favorite journals. Sponsored by the World Health Organization, the INTERHEART study you point out was indeed a monumental undertaking, trying to tease out modifiable risk factors for heart attacks across populations in more than 50 countries on every inhabited continent. They concluded that more than 90% of the risk of our #1 killer is attributed to things we can do something about, like eating fruits and vegetables every day. The most important risk factor by far was cholesterol–twice as important as exercise–followed by smoking. The designated discussant at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, where the results were first reported, lamented “mankind is doing a good job of killing himself.” l Their follow-up study, called INTERSTROKE, published in 2010 concluded that 90% of strokes were preventable as well.

I am astonished by the heroic scale, scope, the rigor in these studies and especially the value of their conclusions to humanity (not to mention the environment and the welfare of our animal friends). BTW, your series of DVDs provided the spark of inspiration I needed to adopt a plant-based, whole-foods (B12 supplemented!) diet almost a year ago – the benefits are monumental. Why isn’t everyone doing this? Super thanks to you!!!

Michael. Thank you for these videos, they are really useful and effective teaching tools. I eat a low fat, whole food, plant based diet with no added OIL. Daily green smoothie. Probably an A+ diet and I love it and have been eating this way for past 4 years.
Heres my question. My TOTAL cholesterol is 150. Great! Buy my LDL year after year is about 85-97 over the past 4 years. No animal products. None of these soy isolate fake meats, beans, veg, fruits, grains.. What the heck could keep my LDL above 80? I have heard Dr Esselstyn say even if your Total and LDL Chol is higher than his recommendation of 150 and 80, if you are on plant based diet as he describes that I am still heart attack proof. But my question… why is it still above 80? Never been below 80 ever. My norm??

Similar to what some of the folks have expressed here, I have a comparable situation that I‘d like to share with you and get your input on. In the recent months my boyfriend and I have switched from a mostly meat-based diet to a mostly plant-based diet (we make some exceptions when we go out). We did this because of my interest in a healthier eating lifestyle and because of my boyfriend’s family history of coronary heart disease. Recently, my boyfriend has consulted a cardiologist and has had some tests done that indicated that he needs to lower his cholesterol and blood pressure or possibly take statins and other medications to do so. Neither of us likes the idea of him taking statins or any sort of medications to lower his numbers. So, we changed the way we eat. After 3 months of completely changing how we eat, my boyfriend went in to get his lab values retested. The results perplexed us. Instead of his lab values lowering after a 3 month plant-based dietary change, they increased (his blood lipids numbers: LDL from 125 to 134, triglycerides from 100 to 151, and his total cholesterol from 180 to 202)! Do you have any explanation as to why this might have happened? We have not given up on the plant-based eating, but given his most recent lab values his cardiologist recommended that he take the medication nonetheless. This is disheartening to us. Any advice and guidance would be greatly appreciated. Much thanks in advance!

I know Im not Dr. Gregor but I can relate my experience. When I went vegan my HDL went down and my trigs went up. In order to get my numbers in the right direction I had to go whole foods vegan, low fat. This meant minimizing or eliminating white flour, sugar, and oil. I eat small amount of nuts but be careful some people go overboard with nuts and are not able to lose weight. Reducing white flour, sugar, and oil put my LDL at 82 and total at 148 and my trigs went down by 100.

Thank you, Roger and Dr. Dons, for sharing your advice with me. Yes, I think my bf’s numbers could improve if he followed a more strict version of plant-based eating as well. While he is following our new way of eating MUCH better than I ever expected, he is not as into it as I am. Still your advice and results give me hope. I will try my best to influence him in positive ways mostly by example. Again, thank you for your suggestions; they are much appreciated.

There are several considerations. The first is to make sure that there was not a lab error and that you were fasting with only water for 12 – 14 hours. I think avoiding statins is an excellent goal see http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/statin-muscle-toxicity/ I would do a 3-4 week trial of all whole food plant based diet avoiding oils and processed foods (i.e things with labels). Factors to consider: I would avoid all processed oils… olive oil and canola oil have saturated fat which gets converted to cholesterol; I would make sure that you are consuming adequate fiber see http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/beans-beans-good-for-your-heart/. The elevation in your triglycerides probably reflect increased consumption of sugars.. especially fructose/High Fructose Corn Syrup and possibly alcohol(I know it is plant based). Try and make all your own meals. Eating out will expose you to sugars and oils that are hard to control. After you do a good trial and repeat the blood panel see how you do. Over recommending drugs is common these days in medicine. You might enjoy reading Dr. Esselstyn’s book on reversing and preventing heart disease and some of Dr. McDougall’s newsletters go to his website click on Hot Topics and read more under Cholesterol and triglycerides or Heart Disease and Atherosclerosis… you might start with the Sept 2002 article on who should be treated. Given a new set of numbers plus information as above you will be able to work with your physicians. Don’t be discouraged keep working at it. Congratulations on working to stabilize your arterial disease and keep tuned to Nutritionfacts.org for the latest science.

I hope this helps another(s)… I spent 8 years sick to the gills on simvastatin. but i was terrified i need another bypass if i quit. My wife suggested i try some diet changes to help the drug along. Naturally i took her advice and went hard vegan, you know, Esselstyn vegan. Guess who is off statins and feeling like a million bucks. I simply decided to eat to live and i never looked back. Real men eat plants…a fireman said that! Do it for a year, then decide if it is too extreme. Just say yes…PLEASE

Dr. Greger, my LDL was 123 and 6 months later, 117 (under a plant based diet). Two questions: 1) could it take years to get my LDL to under 70 if it’s even possible? and 2) can arteriosclerosis be reversed/cured under a plant based diet?

Congratulations on your success. I have been impressed with how quickly cholesterol levels can be lowered by going on the correct diet (i.e no animal products, no processed oils, low saturated fat, high fiber, exercise). I have seen patients over time continue to lower and improve their markers. Whether this is a response to further changes in diet or exercise or the body adapting over time I’m not sure. I am not aware of any studies that would help sort all this out. There is good evidence that arterial disease can be stabilized and reversed by going on a good whole food plant based diet. The advantages that occur in the first weeks are do to the nitrous oxide system. Studies have shown that stable angina or chest pain do to poor blood flow in the heart can be reversed by a plant based diet. For more information see the video’s on nitrous oxide most recently http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/the-power-of-no/. Drs Ornish and Esselstyn in the 1990’s showed reversal of the blockages themselves at rechecks 1 and 5 years out. Dr. Esselstyn’s clinical work since has confirmed the ability to stabilize coronary artery disease. You have to remember that the markers are only feedback and are relative to each individual. In my opinion there have been too few studies on the outcomes of a plant based diet to fully understand whether those on a well designed plant based diet can have LDL’s over the recommendations and still be okay. Given the dangers of statins see: http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/statin-muscle-toxicity/ I would be cautious about prescribing them to patients on a well designed whole food plant based diet with Vit B12 supplementation. You can also read Dr. John McDougall’s May 2007 newsletter on who should take statins see:http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/may/statins.htm. Keep tuned to NutritionFacts.org for the latest science as the evidence continues to mount that you and the planet will be healthier if we follow a plant based diet.

Hi Dr. Greger!I have started my journey to veganism about a year ago, and have gradually becomemore and more vegan. Now I am about 90% vegan. Previously I was a big meat-eater,and being a 52 year old smoker, my blood work was not good:Cholesterol: 203, HDL: 27 LDL: 125 VLDL: 50 and Haemoglobin a1c: 6.1Trygs: 251 Because of my prediabetic condition, I have also reduced a lot of my sugar intake andhave added omega-3, niacin and sterol/stanol supplements. I have dropped a few pounds. The doctors have suggested statins, but I’m willing to do a lot before starting a statin regimen.I have done a few blood tests over the year, and my cholesterol has gone as low as 160s. In my last lab work some numbers improved and others did not, whichpuzzled me. The new lab numbers areCholesterol: 174, HDL: 31 LDL: 113 VLDL: 30 andHaemoglobin a1c: 6.1Trygs: 145. Although I know that I can get further improvement by quitting smokingand adding more exercise, my questions are:1.- Should I have expected a significantly larger drop in totalcholesterol and LDL?2.- Apparently, the lower the VLDL and trigs are significant, but arethey mainly because of the lower sugar intake and the addition of omega-3, rather than avoiding animal products? 3.- What should I do to further lower the total chol., total LDL andHaemoglobin a1c ? More importantly: should I consider a more dramatic change in my dietor in supplements?

Congratulations on your success. The drop in cholesterol when patients change their diet is variable and depends on many factors. So there is no “expectation” however in general going standard american diet to plant based is a reduction about 20-30%. I did have one patient drop her LDL from 176 to 76 however. The decreased sugar intake will help, the omega 3’s shouldn’t be a factor unless you are taking fish oil supplements. See any of Dr. Greger’s 12 videos on why fish oil supplements are a bad idea. Plant based sources do exist see… http://nutritionfacts.org/video/plant-based-omega-3-supplements-2/. You can lower your cholesterol further by eliminating all animal products and checking labels for added animal products. Exercising will tend to reduce cholesterol only 1-5% but there are many other reasons for exercising. The diabetes is another issue as the main root of that “sugar processing” problem seems to be fats in the diet. Since animal foods are consistently the highest in fats eliminating them helps but attention should also be turned to sources of fat in the diet. Fructose is another issue and will be the subject of future NutritionFacts.org videos. Fructose is metabolized to cholesterol and free fatty acids by the liver. Dr. Barnard’s book on Reversing Diabetes is the best single resource I have seen for diabetes. Stopping smoking should not effect your markers but given everything you have said should rise right to the top of your list on things to do… I didn’t say it was easy just important. Good luck.

Hello,
I am a 45 yr old fit, healthy female, who has been strictly vegan for over 2 years, and I feel great about it.
I don’t smoke, exercise regularly, and eat very, very healthy: lots of greens and vegies, whole grains, etc. and few unnecessary fats or carbs, and I do everything I’ve learned that has to be done.

Last week I wanted to check my cholesterol to compare it with a test I had 2 years ago, and was quite surprised: almost no change from 2 years ago: my total chol. increased a bit to 196, as well as my LDL, to 99. This is far from the ideal of <150 tot. cho. and <70 LDL.

The truth is that before becoming vegan I already ate quite healthy, but included animal proteins with lots of eggs, milk and several chicken or steak per week. After 2 years of 0 animal protein I thought my numbers will be great. Have you seen this happen in other patients? Assuming my diet and lifestyle are indeed as healthy as I think, how can this be explained? Genetics? I have no known family history of high chol.

The good news: My HDL is very high, and it also increased a bit from 2 years ago to a total of 81, and my trigs are low: 81. I know these 2 factors mitigate the other numbers, and lower my risk factors considerably. But still I am puzzled:
How can my tot chol and LDL not be lower? How (un)common is this with strict vegans that eat and live healthily with no known family histories? Any insights?
Should my numbers require consulting a physician?

I’ve been on a very low fat vegan McDougall-type diet for more that 6 years and my total cholesterol is 196. I did get it down to 167 by taking Niacin (the itchy one) about a year ago, but then quit since I had a massive nosebleed and had to call 911 and be transported to the emergency room. My platelets were 124, and I read Niacin can have a bad effect on clotting. Now the platelet count is 163.
My present HDL is 59 and LDL is 119. I don’t want to take statins. What is the answer to this? I’m female, 73, and both parents died of cholesterol-related disease.

I have been searching for answers for the past 5 years with no luck, I have high cholesterol but live a healthy vegan life style. Is there any thing else that can cause high cholesterol? hdl = 2.07 mmol/L, ldl = 2.4 mmol/L, hdl ratio = 2.5 ratio, triglyceride 1.30 mmol/L

Sounds delish! I make something very similar, as well. I like to use either hibiscus or green tea instead of water, and sometimes I add some cloves, dates, and flaxseed meal to “nutrify” it even more. I also love adding berries (frozen) to the mix. :)

I dont understand why there wasn’t correlation between saturated fat intake and CVD, CHD, or stroke risk. There are researchers saying vit K-2 is protective against cancer too. Why is it we use lack of Vit C production as evidence for eating plants but dont take the need for B- 12 as evidence for needing animal foods? Im trying to understand.

I eat whole food, plant based (Esselstyn, McDougall…) but have familial hyper cholesterolemia (Total Chol 330 without drugs). I have been off and on drugs. I go off because I can’t handle the side effects- sever muscle pain and obvious memory problems. I’m in my early 40s. I’m wondering about studies for vegans with hypercholesterolemia and if we are protected by our diet alone despite our high cholesterol and LDL levels. I would love to be drug free AND have peace of mind I’m not short cutting my life. Seems my choices are I either kill my quality of life and live longer or enjoy my life and die early.

I can relate to this. I have one problem: high LDL. Thats it, everything else is great. My Dr. said since there are no other risk factors, statins are not worth the downside in taking them. I eat plant based with BMI of 17-training for a marathon-female 51), so I have to eat some avocados, nuts etc. to keep my weight up. Even though I am glad my Dr. said don’t take statins, I do not like the high number ..about 160.
Heres my theory… perhaps I make more cholesterol that is floating around in my blood stream, due to genetic factors, but b/c I don’t have plaque for the cholesterol to go to for repair, the cholesterol is flushed out of my body (literally). How accurate is this?

One year ago (09/30/12) I had a “heart attack” and needed an RCA stent. I was at Total Cholesterol 189, and LDL of 119. A perfect example of this video, and what Dr. Esselstyn points out in his book. That is, being under 200 and 130 is not enough. I then followed the standard recommendations and I ate a low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar, lean meats, 1% milk, and some dairy diet. Result? Total cholesterol dropped to 131, and LDL dropped to 71, and lost 15 pounds. Very satisfied! Then, on 04/14/13 we watched Forks Over Knives, and went Vegan the next day. Total cholesterol dropped to 97, LDL dropped to 39, and lost another 24 pounds. About a month ago I stumbled upon NutritionFacts. LOVE this site. Love the research backed presentations. Love the humor. I’ll never go back to the S.A.D.

Thanks for the great videos…I’ve been vegan 4 years, having had (in my past) a 95% blockage of LAD which was stented. I love being a vegan, and my “mainstream” cholesterol numbers are good (TC 146, LDL 86, HDL 44, TG 79). I’m age 67, weight 149, and exercise 6 times a week (stationery bike), take 10 mg atorvastatin, baby asp, and plavix (for a few more months, post stenting)

Being a curious guy, I decided to dig deeper and got the NMR (LDL particle & Insulin Resistance) & Lipoprotein (a) tests. I’m concerned, (given my strict vegan ways) with the results, some of which are off the charts in terms of cardio risk:

Looking for answers, I read some studies (Bantus veggies vs Bantu fish eaters), e.g., http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/19/5/1250.long about how to lower Lipoprotein (a), LDL-P and LP-IR, I was surprised to read that vegans can have higher Lipo (a) and other studies recommend increasing fish consumption, high fat, and aggressively reducing carbs to correct the insulin resistance & lip (a). Carbs=vegan, right? I love being a low fat vegan (a la Esselstyn) but am having second thoughts.
Thanks for your reply.

http://authoritynutrition.com/it-aint-the-fat-people/
Hi, I am a 26 year vegan and wanted to know your take on the above link, the site that espouses low carbs, etc. They post videos and reference many sources for their contention. Please review their case and debunk them if you will. I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi,
I have tried unsuccessfully, to bring my cholesterol down with diet for a number of years now. Just had recent blood work and the (total is now 255) from 245 1yr ago. My (LDL/166) (HDL/66) (VLDL/23) (triglycerides/114). I am 62 years old,110 lbs and exercise at the gym 3-4 times per week. I eat vegetables, fruit, yogurt, pasta, nuts and small portion of chicken or turkey only 3-4 times per week for protein. I take fiber supplement everyday along with vit D3, and multi vit.
I know that I can’t follow a vegan diet, but could cut back even more on meat if necessary.
I don’t want to take medication which was recommended by my doctor. Although, he did say that my liver is over producing cholesterol. (heredity).

My sister is 10 years older and has a total # of 360. She tried Lipitor and Crestor. Can’t take either without feeling constant pain…..
My mom lived to be 92 years old and had a # of 400.
she died in the hospital with super bug complications.

Is cholesterol number, just a guide line to show risk of CAD or HEART DISEASE? Or if I never control this number…will I end up with blockages and health problems down the road?

I also had my particle size checked and it is mixed (small and large). Is there anything to control size?? Under the assumption that large is better to have.

My doctors tell me that as we age our liver produces more cholesterol and that most cholesterol in us older folks is not from diet at all. I eat an almost-all-plant-based diet already. My HDL has always been high (94 now) and my LDL is 80. Please discuss the aging liver part of our cholesterol.

Janet: I don’t have ready links, but I know Dr. Greger has at least one video showing that “increased cholesterol is a necessary function of age” is a myth. Cholesterol goes up as people age only (as a rule–baring some genetic fluke or disease or something) when people have decades of eating fatty and meat, dairy and egg diets. If you can find one of those videos, you would have your answer for your doctors.
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I can’t speak to your particular situation though. I’m just talking about the big picture.

I am a vegan female (59) eat a balanced plant-based diet who has high cholesterol (enough for my GP to call me as soon as blood test results came through). I exercise a lot, I am slim and have low blood pressure. The doctor said it was hereditary and unlikely to be linked to my diet but seriously risky. They could not think of anything I could do except start straight away on statins. There is some history of heart disease but those family members ate meat and smoked. Are statins the only thing and am I taking enormous risks by not taking them?

Hi Lesley,
Has your doc talked to you about a coronary artery calcium scan? It’s a CT scan that looks at calcium buildup (if any) in your arteries, which is a direct marker for presence/absence of plaques (as direct of a non-invasive marker as we have for now other than experimental MRI scans). The chief downside to this scan is that you’re exposed to radiation from the CT scan, *but* many of the calcium scanners are using much lower amounts of radiation that they used to. The major upside is that you’ll be getting an excellent indicator of whether or not you actually have any plaques — if your score is low (or even zero), then you may be able to completely avoid a life time of statin drug treatment!

Lesley: I’m not an expert, and you already got an incredibly helpful reply form David Sprouse. I thought would also add that NutritionFacts has a page for people like you who want to continue to tweak their cholesterol levels via diet. As David says, it may not be necessary in your case. You can do a test to find out if you actually have a problem. Also note that other experts believe that in the context of a whole plant food diet, cholesterol levels do not matter, because it will not oxidize. ie, the question of risk attached to high cholesterol may only be relevant in the context of a diet other than a whole plant food diet. That said, the question is still open. So, if you want to just work on lowering your cholesterol naturally, here are some ideas to check out: http://nutritionfacts.org/questions/what-can-i-do-to-lower-my-cholesterol-it-seems-ive-tried-everything/
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I would also point out that there are some pretty big risks attached to statins. I don’t think the decision to take statins is a slam dunk. I can’t say if you should or should not take those drugs. I’m saying that if you do the research and decide not to take statins, that is a reasonable decision to make.

What about triglycerides? My total cholesterol level is 153….not quite below 150, and my LDL is 83….which is below 100 and within normal limits, but it is not at the 60 or below range as mentioned in this video. But, my triglycerides are over the normal limit. My triglycerides are 175….and 150 is the normal limit. I cannot find any video or text on Dr. Greger’s website that addresses the problem of triglycerides. Are not triglycerides just as dangerous as high cholesterol? My wife’s doctor said to reduce carbohydrates in order to get triglycerides down to a normal level. But, Doctor’s like John McDougall recommend a high starch diet which include lots of potatoes. Being a vegan, I eat starches like sweet potatoes, rice, beans, corn, white potatoes, and salads galore. How does a vegan get their triglycerides down to normal limits?

Dr Gregor. I have studied exercise science for 38 years through the American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise and the National strength and conditioning association. Their courses involve Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Anatomy and to a lesser extent nutrition. I also studied Nutrition from Montclair State University in NJ. My girlfriend is an avid believer in your and McDougall’s teachings. She will not believe anything other than what she sees and hears on your video’s. I cannot say I agree with you on all issues….. and do not agree with McDougall on most of his views. I have 3 questions. 1) Are you a vegan ? 2) Do you exercise ? 3) Are you willing to publish a current copy of your CBC ? I am very anxious to examine your blood profile. Show us all that “what you know really works” I hope you accept this challenge for the sake of your followers and your reputation. Thanks……Wayne

Wayne Laglia: Dr. Greger’s reputation is just fine. I don’t personally think your request for #3 is appropriate, and if I had any contact and sway, I would tell him not to do it. Throwing out one anecdotal example as a model or proof of anything would undermine the very premise of this website – which is about covering what the body of scientific evidence tells us. Anecdotes are very weak evidence of anything. (On the plus side, they can be good personal motivators. It is always fun when someone shares their success story here on NutritionFacts and helps to motivate others.) You understand that looking at Dr. Greger’s personal medical information is just examining an anecdote. It does not tell you what the body of scientific evidence says.
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However, I can answer your first two questions. From reading Dr. Greger’s book, How Not To Die, I’m pretty sure he is not just vegan, but a Whole Plant Food Based (WPFB) eater. If you are not familiar with what that means, you can learn more on this site, read the book or maybe ask your girlfriend?
.
For your second question, Dr. Greger is famous for his treadmill desk. Last I heard, Dr. Greger is up to walking 17 miles a day. He even gives interviews while walking on the treadmill. It’s entirely possible that Dr. Greger does additional exercise too. I wouldn’t know. I can also say that in the Daily Dozen (from the book), Dr. Greger recommends everyone do 90 minutes moderate exercise or 40 minutes vigorous exercise a day. Dr. Greger does more than that.
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Note: All of the normal videos-of-the-day have a ‘sources cited’ button. You can click that and verify any parts you want.

Hi, I respect and appreciate all the great research and reporting Dr. Greger is doing. I have been reluctant however to fully accept that high LDL cholesterol increases heart disease and death. I have read plenty that contradicts this. I could reference it here but I don’t want to insert info from 3rd party websites without permission. But you know the arguments. My favorite is that arterial plaque is caused by scaring not dietary cholesterol and that dietary cholesterol is required for strong arteries. There was even a recent study in Japan showing people with high cholesterol lived longer.

I have also seen your videos on saturated fat and I have reservations here too. I have no doubt in the studies cited but has anyone separated out people eating organic virgin coconut oil or organic ghee as opposed to animal saturated fat? Is it possible that all the toxins from farming and the environment as well as those injected into cows all of which accumulate in the saturated fats are the real culprits and not the fat per se? I’m with you on vegan diet before we even get to health considerations at least as long as dairy production is violent. I wouldn’t mind dairy if it wasn’t obtained violently and is organic.

This may be a good topic for new research and reporting so we can really get to the bottom of it.

Hi! I’m Dr Anderson, a cardiologist and volunteer for Nutrition Facts. Lifestyle changes especially changing dietary pattern can have a large effect on the condition you’ve been found to have, which is called cardiomyopathy. (Normally, the heart should pump 60% of the blood from the chamber each time it beats. Your heart is pumping less than 25% out, which is less than half normal strength.) There are many causes of cardiomyopathy (weakness of the heart). Hopefully your cardiologist has checked to see if you have blocked heart arteries, prior heart attacks, or if there is some other reason that your heart is weak. Having a weak heart leads to heart failure, where your heart isn’t keeping up with your needs, and your breathing and sleep suffer, and swelling builds up.

Meat, esp red and processed meat, other processed foods with salt, added sugar, and fats, are shown to both cause and worsen heart failure, so avoiding them is key to feeling your best. Meanwhile, a whole food, plant based diet with no added oils is very helpful for preventing worsening of heart failure. It can also reverse some of the causes of cardiomyopathy.

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